There’s a new celebrity in town: the world’s largest retail corporation has come to San Ramon.

Walmart opened a Neighborhood Market in the Country Club Village Shopping Center on Alcosta Blvd. last month, and residents are wary of the reputation that accompanies the brand.  But the corporation that everyone loves to hate might bring positive effects to the city, if the new store is contained and maintained to the standards of the area.

Unlike a standard Walmart store, the new Neighborhood Market operates as a grocery store, with fresh produce, a bakery, and a pharmacy.

This allows it to keep a higher profile than the standard Walmart store, attracting the same local crowd that might shop at Safeway or Nob Hill.

And Walmart is making an effort to win over the community by donating $20,000 to various local institutions, including a $2,000 contribution to Cal High and a $5,000 donation to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, according to the San Ramon Patch online news site.

The new store will bring tax revenue to the city, and competitive pricing to the entire community.

Residents have publicly expressed their concerns about the direction of growth in San Ramon, and a small group protested the site of the new store shortly before renovations began.

One of the main concern regarding Walmart’s opening in San Ramon deals with the reputation it brings with it. The new store needs to maintain its level of cleanliness and order to stay on top of business, and retain the approval of the community.

Round-the-clock hours could potentially cause locals to question safety in the area late at night, and Walmart needs to make sure that security is effective, as well as enforce the shopping center’s rule about no overnight parking that characterizes other Walmart parking lots.

Other concerns include Walmart’s overall business practices.  Although the company is no saint, the issues that plague the corporation around the world are not likely to affect residents on a day-to-day basis.

Meanwhile, Walmart does serve as an anchor for the shopping center, bringing more customers to the surrounding stores.

Though a blow to small business owners in the area, other large grocery stores like Safeway, Nob-Hill, and Lucky provide exactly the same services, and foster the same competition that the new Walmart will.

As long as the new Neighborhood Market remains grocery-oriented and retains its cleanliness and order, it will not harm the city’s reputation or business.